Networking

LinkedIn allows you to connect with professionals who do the same work you want to do or work in a type of organisation you also want to work for. Watch the video below to see how to create a powerful LinkedIn profile.

Watch this video on how to create a powerful LinkedIn profile

• By speaking to people at career days, job fairs or at workshops, drinks, etc.
• Through the people you already know. Ask if they know people who work in a certain industry or at a certain company, or have done something you have your eye on. They can introduce you or you approach them yourself with your question.
• Ask a specific question in Utrecht University's official alumni group on LinkedIn. This might lead to an interesting discussion.
• Find interesting alumni via LinkedIn's alumni tool. They can give you information and perhaps introduce you to others. The video below explains in an easy way how the alumni tool works.

See how the alumni tool on LinkedIn works in this video

You can make good use of your network if you already have some insight into your motives, talents and interests. It is also useful if you have already done some research into which future possibilities belong. Then you can better indicate what you want and what suits you.

Tips for using your network:

• Tell your family, friends, acquaintances, (former) fellow students that you are looking for a job and what kind of job. This can yield surprising tips.
• Take stock for yourself where they work. They may have interesting contacts for you. You can specifically ask them a question if they know people working in a particular sector.
• After getting acquainted, add new contacts on LinkedIn with a personal message.
• Find interesting alumni via LinkedIn's alumni tool. They can give you information and perhaps introduce you to others.
• Follow interesting and relevant people and discussions on LinkedIn.
• Keep in touch with interesting people via social media.
• Visit job fairs (such as at Career Day) and take your CV with you right away. Make sure you can describe what you are looking for in a few sentences.

Someone in your network suggests that you should have a chat with a particular person. You get a phone number or email address and decide to approach this person for a networking conversation. But how do you do that? First of all, tell who you are, how you got this person's name and contact details and why you would like to make an appointment. Make it clear that you are not asking for a job. If this person agrees, make the appointment and thank the other person.

Tips for a networking conversation:

• Look up a lot of information about the organisation on the internet beforehand. Check the social media accounts of the company and the person you are meeting with. Perhaps there is content here that you can pick up on. Think about what information you are missing to get a good picture. Formulate your questions about this.
• Re-introduce yourself briefly and tell what your goal for this conversation is. The person opposite you may be busy and not remember exactly what it is all about.
• Take the initiative in this conversation, this helps to make an active, interested impression. You took the initiative for the appointment, the other person expects this from you.
• The interview is informative. You don't come to ask for a job. Maybe you hope for one, but if there is a chance, the initiative will have to come from the other person. What you can do is indicate after the interview that you have become enthusiastic and ask to whom you could send an open application. Ask if you can mention the name of the person you are talking to now.
• You can also ask if he/she knows anyone else with whom you could also talk. For example, because not all your questions have been answered yet.
• Thank them for the conversation. After a day, send another message with a thank you and the added value the conversation has had for you. Let someone who has done something for you know how it turned out.

• Realise that you can meet interesting people and get relevant information anywhere and at any time of the day.
• Everyone is approachable. Including yourself. Open up to people with different ages, education or interests.
• Decide how you act when looking for a job. Try to adopt a proactive, positive and open attitude.
• Be direct and sincere. Don't use tricks to get something done. That is likely to work against you.
• Don't start linking at random on LinkedIn or calling or emailing out of the blue. If you don't have a connection with someone, you are usually not that helpful.
• Remember who helped you. Send a thank you or, if you got a job thanks to this person's help, maybe something more like a bouquet of flowers.
• Finding a job often takes time, especially if the number of jobs is thin in the field you are looking in. Hang in there and have faith that it will eventually work out!